Perhaps the only thing that changes more rapidly than technology in today's amped-up digital environment is the terminology used to describe that technology and its impact on consumers--and marketers. One recent example is the advent of the term "omnichannel" marketing, which many struggle to differentiate from another relatively recent term--"multichannel" marketing. Still, those who are most enmeshed in the field say there is a key distinction between the two, and it's one that will have an impact on marketers as they continue to seek ways of having a meaningful impact on the consumers they hope to engage. And, importantly, it's less about technology than it may seem.

ChaCha Gains $7 Million in Funding

ChaCha has added another $7 million in funding upon the completion of an E round on Dec. 22. ChaCha, which has now raised some $52 million since its inception 4 years ago, is an "answers service." Users can submit questions via text, phone call, the company's website, or on Twitter, and receive answers for free in minutes.

In the third quarter of 2009, ChaCha passed Google in mobile text traffic. When ChaCha's mobile service launched in January 2008, Google had nearly all of the mobile text search market.